Oct 23 New Zealand Carrick Belton Judge Passes Away

It is sadden to announce that New Zealand Judge Carrick Belton has passed away at 4pm on 20th of October. Belton had a long battle with cancer which he was in remission at one point, however this year the cancer came back.

Belton is well known for allot of things, including for being the president of the Commonwealth Boxing Council, President of New Zealand Professional Boxing Association inc, New Zealand Representative of WBC and OPBF.

He has Judged 8 World title fights, 7 of them being with WBC. He has Judge 8 Joseph Parker fights and supervised one of Parkers 7 titles in the Kali Meehan fight. He has probably achieve more in his career before records began recording on boxrec.

One of New Zealand’s proudest achievements was having the first (one from the four) major world title fight (WBC World Title) in April 2016 for the first time in New Zealand history in which Carrick Belton Judged.

Commonwealth Boxing Council President and Secretary gave a tribute to Carrick Belton with this:

“COMMONWEALTH BOXING COUNCIL BULLETIN 21st October 2016

DOUGLAS CARRICK BELTON

I am very sorry to have convey news of the passing of CBC Director and former President, Douglas Carrick Belton of New Zealand yesterday, 20th October.

Carrick, as he was known, died after a period of illness through cancer. He was 80 years old and is survived by his wife, Joan.

A member of the CBC affiliated federation on behalf of New Zealand, the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association Inc., he was registered as a Director of the Company in 1998, and in 2004 was elected as President to serve his 2 year term. This came about during the CBC Annual General Meeting in Accra, Ghana to where the CBC Board had been invited during the course of celebrations marking the 50th Anniversary of Independence of the State of Ghana in 1954, as guests of the State of Ghana and the Ghana Boxing Authority, a year which also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the formation of the CBC in its’ original name of ‘The British

Empire and Commonwealth Championships Committee’.

His first ceremonial role as President was to present the Commonwealth Championship Belt to future IBF World Champion, Joseph Agbeko, who won our vacant Flyweight Title later that evening at the Accra Stadium. Carrick did so wearing not only his CBC President’s Pendant but also the traditional Ghanaian ceremonial scarf with which he had been presented earlier in the day.

Carrick and his vivacious wife Joan, herself a Timekeeper, along with their friend and CBC colleague John Gillett and his wife Judy, were sterling travellers, attending CBC AGM’s and World Boxing Council Conventions all around the World. I can recall many years ago, when a CBC meeting was held at the old British Boxing Board of Control headquarters at Jack Petersen House near London Bridge, arriving early in the morning to set up the meeting room, after which I went next door to the café, as was my usual custom, to have some breakfast. It was probably somewhere between 7 30 and 8 00am. Engrossed in my ‘Daily Mail’ I was surprised to get a tap

on the shoulder and there was Carrick who had just arrived from New Zealand.

The meeting lasted all day and when it was over Carrick quite happily set back off to Heathrow to catch his flight back to New Zealand.

That really is enthusiasm and dedication.

The last time I saw Carrick was when I was a guest of he and Joan, and John and Judy, at a Club in St James’ where they were staying in London during a CBC AGM. Having worn a tie all day and with the more relaxed rules than hitherto applying in London about dress code, I was not wearing one that evening only to be informed upon arrival informed that I could not enter the Club without one. Carrick and John hastily searched around until one could be found albeit with something of a colour clash with what I was already wearing. Although both meal and company were excellent, it was not one of my finer fashion moments.

In more recent times we had not seen Carrick at our meetings but we regularly corresponded by email and he continued to contribute to CBC matters.

A great friend to Boxing, and in particular Commonwealth Boxing, his passing will be mourned by all who knew him, and will be formally marked prior to the commencement of the next CBC AGM in London, in December.

SIMON BLOCK

Hon Secretary

Commonwealth Boxing Council”

I am sure from us all, that our deepest sympathies and empathy are with Joan and Family and extended Family at this time.

Benjamin Watt first got interested in boxing when he watched his first bout in 2000, where David Tua fought Lennox Lewis and ever since then he was hooked. Since 2014, he had become the editor for New Zealand and Pacific of Boxrec (The independent computerized rankings website and records keeping).

In 2015 he became a Boxing judge, making him the first openly gay man to have ever judge a professional boxing bout in the World. Recently he has been writing for international boxing websites including World Boxing News, Boxing Scene and Scoop NZ. Benjamin has also recently started a new project with Wikipedia, to produce more Wiki articles on New Zealand Boxing history.

If you have an upcoming event and would like it covered, feel free to get in contact with him on:

Benjamin Watt first got interested in boxing when he watched his first bout in 2000, where David Tua fought Lennox Lewis and ever since then he was hooked. Since 2014, he had become the editor for New Zealand and Pacific of Boxrec (The independent computerized rankings website and records keeping).

In 2015 he became a Boxing judge, making him the first openly gay man to have ever judge a professional boxing bout in the World. Recently he has been writing for international boxing websites including World Boxing News, Boxing Scene and Scoop NZ. Benjamin has also recently started a new project with Wikipedia, to produce more Wiki articles on New Zealand Boxing history.

If you have an upcoming event and would like it covered, feel free to get in contact with him on:

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